USWNT player ratings: How did the Americans do in their friendlies vs. Russia?

It was two games against Russia and two wins for the U.S. women's national team following their 5-1 victory on Sunday. Coach Jill Ellis was certainly less worried about the result than her players' performances, so how did everyone do?

We only rated players who played enough minutes to warrant an evaluation, and here's what we came up with:

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Crystal Dunn - 7

It would’ve been difficult for Dunn to do poorly as the lead striker vs. Russia and indeed she had solid enough games. She finished chances to score a pair of goals in each match and she put in a high work rate. But given the amount of chances she had against a poor Russia team, she could’ve been more clinical and, particularly in the first match, she needed to make better-timed runs.

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Carli Lloyd - 5

The USWNT captain started both matches as a striker behind Dunn, but her impact, or lack thereof, left a lot to be desired. She had one rather nice assist to Dunn in the first match, and she buried a penalty kick in the second, but she otherwise had trouble imposing herself on the games, even as Russia didn’t put up too much of a fight.

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Mallory Pugh - 6.5

Pugh didn’t have a very good outing on Thursday in the first match. She struggled to hold onto the ball or connect her passes, and the frustration was palpable. But she bounced back on Sunday with a splendid performance where she was dynamic and effective in getting the attack going. So, one poor game and one great game makes for an in-between rating.

Rose Lavelle - 8.5

She was the best player on the field across both games. Not everything she tried worked, but it was encouraging to see how much she was willing to get creative and try to make something out of nothing. Between her individual skill and her vision in how to move the ball, Lavelle showed a lot that she can build upon as she continues to make her case as the Americans' best young player.

Samantha Mewis - 7

She quietly had a solid pair of games, without adding much flair to what the USWNT was doing. She’s best when she is able make simple, quick passes to keep the ball moving in transition and when she is throwing herself in front of opposing attacks. She did those things, and while she wasn’t a spectacular game-changer, she did her job.

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Allie Long - 6.5

Long looked a lot more comfortable and more effective in her return to the midfield, but she put in rather mixed performances. She had a few awful misses with her feet in the first match, but she managed two goals with her head. In the second match, she nearly scored another with her head, showing how useful she is aerially and on set pieces. But, in all, she didn’t always offer enough going forward in transition.

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Meghan Klingenberg - 6.5

No one on the back line was too troubled, and Klingenberg was no different. But for a player who can often be the highest up the pitch, despite being a fullback, she didn’t offer a ton to the attack. At times, the risk didn’t warrant the reward, or lack thereof.

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Becky Sauerbrunn - 7

Let’s be honest: Sauerbrunn didn’t have a ton to do across both games. Of all the defenders, she was the one that stayed home the most and ensured the USWNT was defensively covered. In that sense, she was a steady presence, but it’s a little tough to give her an emphatic rating in either direction.

Casey Short - 6.5

She wasn’t tested much by Russia’s weak attack. She was responsible for the foul that led to a penalty kick, although the call was debatable. At times she got caught up in the attack in such a way that a better team might’ve punished her for it.

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Kelley O’Hara - 8

If Lavelle was the best player on the pitch, then O’Hara was right behind her. Defensively, she didn’t see much action — none of the back line did — but she was excellent in racing up the flanks and joining the attack. Her ability to hold down the right channel allowed Lavelle to drift from the right wing to the central midfield, which is partly why Lavelle was so successful. O’Hara did well to move the ball around in combinations, deliver crosses and win it back as needed. She and Lavelle together were dynamic and aggressive.

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Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris: N/A

How do you grade goalkeepers who each saw one shot on goal across two games, and didn’t have to make any real, genuine saves? Not only that, but they barely even touched the ball and had to distribute it precious few times. We’re not sure, so we can't grade the USWNT’s starting goalkeepers. There just wasn’t much to evaluate, aside from penalty kick scored on Harris, where she happened to guess the wrong way.

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Megan Oyster (sub) - 7

In her first pair of matches for the USWNT, Oyster did everything she needed to do at centerback. Although she didn’t need to do much, she got out of pressure well and it'd be nice to see her against a tougher opposing side. Considering these matches were her debuts, she deserves credit for her composure.

Christen Press (sub) - 6.5

Unfortunately for Press, by the time she got onto the field in both games, the results were decided and the tone was already firmly set. She mostly played from the wing, and she did alright, but when she was able to get in front of goal centrally, she looked a lot more capable of imposing herself. The second half changes didn't lend themselves to much chemistry, and it limited Press.

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Alex Morgan (sub) - 6.5

Morgan had the same problem as Press. It didn’t do her justice to put her in when the USWNT already led by multiple goals and players had started to take their feet of the gas. She didn’t get enough service, and while it would be hard to penalize her for it, it’s also hard to give her a standout rating. She nearly got a chance off a goalkeeper mistake, but she wasn’t able to get control of the ball. It would've been nice to see her starting with some of the newer USWNT pieces, but as it stands, she gets an in-between rating.